"While the bos taurus (aka: the common cow) was not introduced into the western hemisphere until after Columbus, there are two known genera of animals which are native to the continent which belong to this same bovinae genus which also classify their females as cows. They are the American Bison (Bison bison) and the Musk Ox (Ovibos moschatus). The male classification we use in English is bull or ox.

The bison genus is at times disputed by scholars to belong to the bos subgenus. The primary difference is in the amount of shag produced, and the width of the skull.

While we know of a defined difference between the bos genus and the bison genus, these separations would not have existed at 600 BC, which is the time of this claim in the Book of Mormon. Aristotle is the first man known to start classifying the animal kingdom, and he did not live until 384 BC.

We also know that the American Bison at one time roamed at least as far south as the Yucatan peninsula in Central America, thanks to bison remains found in the Lol-Tun caves.

According to the Book of Mormon, Nephi found both the cow and the ox. Now someone is bound to follow up this comment with something along these lines: 'Fool! An ox is a castrated male! How could they find bulls in the new world that were already castrated?' You are absolutely correct, and Joseph Smith would have known the difference between a bull and an ox, as he worked as a farm hand for several years. The English language clearly defines the difference between the two words. However, there are several languages where the translation would not be as clear. Take Hebrew for example. In the Old Testament, examine Exodus 20:17 and Job 21:10. The words found here are ox and bull respectively. However in the original Hebrew text, these two verses use the exact same word, which is pronounced shor."

The cow and the ox according to the Book of Mormon

The word cow is mentioned four times in the Book of Mormon. Three of these instances are prophetic statements, and not claims. However the Book of Mormon does contain one claim that states that there were cows in the New World. This is found in 1 Nephi 18:25:

"And it came to pass that we did find upon the land of promise, as we journeyed in the wilderness, that there were beasts in the forests of every kind, both the cow and the ox, …"

The cow and ox in the Americas

As far as I'm aware, there has never been any archeological discovery of remains of the bos taurus cow or its male counterpart in the western hemisphere that date prior to Columbus. Because the bos taurus cow is the most common genus that we associate with the word "cow", most critics of the Book of Mormon dismiss this as an anachronism.

There are, however, two genera of cows which are native to the American continent which fall within the same taxonomy genus of bovinae. They are the American Bison (Bison bison), and the Musk Ox (Ovibos moschatus).[1]

The Musk Ox

The Musk Ox has only been found in the far north of the American continent and no remains have been found that would place them in the correct place for the setting of the Book of Mormon. These animals bear little resemblance to the Bos Taurus.

The American Bison

The American bison are a different story. The American bison share a very similar physiology to the bos taurus. The difference in classification in taxonomy is primarily due to differences in the amount of hair that they produce, and the width of their skulls. American Bison also have a stronger back than bos taurus.

Despite these differences, bison can resemble bos taurus fairly closely. Some scholars place the bison in the bos genus, right along with bos taurus.[1]

At the time claimed by the Book of Mormon, the differences that we know of in modern taxonomy and the animal families did not exist. The divisions that we find in the animal kingdom were initially the work of Aristotle, who did not live until 384 BC. Therefore, a specific identity of an animal would have been based on the author's familiarity of another animal.

For example, compare these images of a calf, cow, and bull of both genera:

How would you have named it in your journal? We named the bottom row the American bison or buffalo. The top row is the bos taurus cow, which scholars believe would have been in ancient Jerusalem.

We also know that the American bison at one point ranged all the way from Canada down to the Yucatan Peninsula. Remains of the American bison have been found as far south as the Lol-Tun caves, which places them within most theoretic location models of the Book of Mormon. These remains have not been carbon dated. However, based on other remains at the same location, scholars believe they date to the late Pleistocene age, which is older than the Book of Mormon claim.[2] However, other archeological evidence and scholars have placed the bison in Central America much more recently.[3]

The ox vs. the bull

I mention these etymological differences only because I once had a comment from someone mocking the word ox that was used in 1 Nephi 18:25. Someone, somewhere is going to have an issue with the word ox because it is used in English to clarify the difference between a castrated bull versus a non-castrated bull.

This clarification is simple in English. However, the Hebrew language usually did not differentiate between the two. This means that English translations of Hebrew will use the word ox or bull interchangeably. For example, in the Old Testament, Exodus 20:17 contains the word ox, and Job 21:10 contains the word bull. However in the original Hebrew text, these two verses use the exact same word, which is שֹׁור (pronounced shor).

Below you will find references to the 1st edition of the Book of Mormon for the scriptures that I have used in this page. I include these because I have had critics attempt to tell me that the book has been rewritten to include modern findings. This is false. Using the critics highest estimate there is only a 1.5% variation in the exact wording and spelling between the 1st edition of the Book of Mormon and the current edition.

The current edition separates the book into more chapters and adds verse numbers for easier study, so the verses are a little more difficult to spot in the 1st edition. I have attempted to include where you will find them on the page to make this easier.

"in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves ... Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." - 2 Timothy 3:1-2,7

This site is a compilation of existing resources and personal observations of one person,and is not an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
This site cannot be used as a reference for official doctrine of the LDS church.